Zerfas -

Zerfas was an American hard-rock/psych band from Indianapolis that released a self-titled album on 700 West in 1973.

Members: Dave Zerfas (drums, percussion, vocals), Herman Zerfas (keyboards, vocals), Mark Tribby (bass, guitars, vocals), Steve Newbold (bass, guitars)

Background

Zerfas formed in Indianapolis in 1969 around brothers Dave and Herman Zerfas. Originally active under the names Jubal and The Jubal Band, they developed a regional following with a sound that blended late-psych experimentation with emerging progressive structures. In 1973, they recorded their lone album with local musicians Mark Tribby and Steve Newbold completing the lineup.

Zerfas

Zerfas released their lone album on July 10, 1973, via the Indiana micro-label 700 West.

The album crosses late-Sixties whimsy and Seventies rock maximalism with elements of folk, carnival surrealism, honky-tonk, and synth-rock intermingle, replete with harmony-laden choruses and rhythmic digressions.

Herman Zerfas’ layered keyboard work (organ, electric piano, Moog) shares the forefront with Beatlesque vocal arrangements, while guitar plays a mostly supporting role with acoustic strums, sharp electric accents, and fuzz bursts.

Chapter I

A1. “You Never Win” (5:14) – A chaotic opener driven by raspy vocals, ragged guitar, and harmonized choruses. The centerpiece is a spiraling organ solo backed by distorted effects and fast fills.
A2. “The Sweetest Part” (3:37) – Acoustic-led track with folk undercurrents, bluesy inflections, and a dusty vocal blend. Country phrasing seeps in through the twangy rhythm and pensive pace.
A3. “I Don’t Understand” (5:20) – Opens with warped calliope and warped vocal FX, then pivots into a minor-key ballad with cabaret-like piano. The song moves from eerie humor to sorrowful restraint.
A4. “I Need It Higher” (4:48) – A slow-build track that evolves from acoustic fingerpicking to psych-folk with gliding synths, jazzy cymbals, and a sudden rhythmic surge in the coda.

Chapter II

B1. “Stoney Wellitz” (6:30) – The album’s most playful track: barrelhouse piano, reverse-reverb vocals, and synthetic back-and-forths that resemble a synth-honky-tonk duel.
B2. “Hope” (7:44) – A minor-key slow-burn that builds from a somber verse to an ambient interlude with ocean effects and Rhodes figures, ending in a brief funk jam between bass and guitar.
B3. “Fool’s Paradise” (4:22) – Begins the two-part closer with a solid rhythm and dramatic buildup, soon overwhelmed by haunted organ, dissonant guitar spirals, and pitch-shifted voices.
B4. “The Piper” (4:16) – The finale reintroduces the album’s rich harmonies and Harrison-like guitar tone, building to a satisfying vocal climax before ending abruptly on piano.

Zerfas self-produced the album at 700 West Recording Studio in New Palestine with engineer M.J. Whittemore Jr. and additional tracking by Stan Ricker.

The album credits include guitarist John McCormick (A3) and Bill Rice (B2). Dave Zerfas designed the cover and handled primary production.

Despite local acclaim and scattered cult revival, Zerfas remained their only album; the band continued performing intermittently as Jubal or The Jubal Band into the early 1980s.

Discography: